What are spinlocks and how do I implement them in Python?

What are spinlocks and how do I implement them in Python?

Spinlocks are synchronization primitives that allow threads to wait in a loop (or 'spin') while checking for a condition. In Python, you can implement a spinlock using a simple loop with a lock object.

Can you show me a code example of a spinlock in Python?

Sure! Here's a basic example:

import threading

class Spinlock:
    def __init__(self):
        self.lock = False

    def acquire(self):
        while self.lock:
            pass  # Busy wait
        self.lock = True

    def release(self):
        self.lock = False

spinlock = Spinlock()

# Usage
spinlock.acquire()
# Critical section
spinlock.release()

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using spinlocks?

The main advantage of spinlocks is their simplicity and low overhead for short critical sections. However, they can waste CPU cycles if the wait is long, leading to inefficiency in multi-threaded applications.